Chapter 127: Can’t Take It Anymore

Today three chapters! Seeking subscriptions! Seeking monthly tickets! Seeking recommendation tickets! Seeking anything to comfort my wounded heart...

The long night was finally ended by the rising sun, and light returned to the City of Angels. Thousands of rays of light shone down, illuminating the exquisitely designed iron gate in a golden hue.

A black Ford sedan approached from a distance and slowly stopped in front of the iron gate.

The car window rolled down, and the door opened. A clear and joyful laugh floated out. The owner of the laughter kissed Murphy lightly on the face, then got out of the passenger seat, walked to the iron gate, and kept waving back.

"I'll pick you up this afternoon," Murphy nodded.

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you!" Carey Mulligan smiled sweetly.

The black Ford sedan gradually drove away until it disappeared completely. Carey Mulligan then turned and walked towards the iron gate, her face still adorned with a faint, sweet smile. Her cute doll-like face radiated happiness, and even her short, golden hair seemed to shine brightly in the early morning sun.

She entered through the iron gate but did not go inside. Instead, she went to the security room nearby.

"Hello," she lightly knocked on the glass door. When the person inside came over, she asked, "Has my copy of 'Premiere' arrived?"

The person looked at her, turned around to get a magazine, opened the door, and handed it to her. "It was delivered just half an hour ago."

Probably influenced by Murphy, Carey Mulligan smiled sweetly, took the magazine, and politely said, "Thank you."

As she walked towards the three-story building where her acting class was held, Carey Mulligan took the magazine and stuffed it into her backpack. This backpack, designed specifically for girls, was a bit small, and the magazine couldn't fit entirely inside, with nearly a fifth of it sticking out.

Carey Mulligan didn't mind and continued walking with the backpack on. The sunlight behind her fell on the glossy cover of the magazine, making the title "Premiere" particularly eye-catching.

Entering the small building, she first went to the dressing room. Due to the morning bout with Murphy, Carey Mulligan arrived later than usual, and most of the acting class members were already there.

Pushing the door open, the first person she saw was Keira, who, as usual, occupied the best spot in the dressing room, surrounded by a few envious girls.

No matter what, having appeared in "Star Wars" was an impressive credential to boast about.

"Forever a stand-in!"

Carey muttered to herself, completely ignoring Keira, and turned to walk towards her own locker.

"Hi, Carey," someone greeted her.

Carey Mulligan took off her backpack and placed it on the long soft bench in front of the locker. She smiled at the person who greeted her, "Hi, Liz."

Elizabeth Banks had already changed her clothes. She came over, looking at Carey Mulligan's sweet expression, and deliberately asked, "Why are you so late today?"

Carey Mulligan smiled sweetly but didn't reply.

"Oh..." Elizabeth Banks pretended to realize something, raised her eyebrows, and whispered, "Did you and Murphy this morning..."

Before finishing her sentence, she leaned close to Carey Mulligan's ear and asked, "Was Murphy satisfying?"

"Is it that obvious?" Carey Mulligan unconsciously touched her face. "It's been two hours already."

"Sweetie..." Elizabeth Banks gently patted her shoulder, "It's all written on your face."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the dressing room door, and someone else walked in. Elizabeth Banks glanced over, "Another new arrival."

Their acting class wasn't fixed; people could leave anytime they got suitable roles, and new ones could join anytime.

Carey Mulligan looked over and saw a girl in her early twenties with somewhat sharp facial features and a good figure, the most striking being her rare red hair.

"Why is she here?" Carey Mulligan was puzzled. "Isn't she a top student from Juilliard?"

As Carey Mulligan looked over, the other girl also saw her and immediately walked towards them.

"Carey?" She seemed surprised to see someone she knew here.

Carey Mulligan waved, "Hi, Jess."

The newcomer was Jessica Chastain.

"What brings you here?" Carey Mulligan was even more puzzled, pointing to a vacant locker beside Elizabeth Banks. "There's an empty locker here."

Jessica Chastain walked over, opened the locker, threw her large backpack on the head of the long soft bench, and turned to say, "A friend recommended this place."

Carey Mulligan took two steps forward, leaned against the locker behind Elizabeth Banks, and curiously asked, "Weren't you a top student at Juilliard? Didn't you specialize in acting?"

"No choice," Jessica Chastain shrugged, "I graduated in June and went to audition for a few productions, but they all said my acting was too theatrical."

"Oh, I see," Carey Mulligan nodded.

She vaguely remembered that Jessica's major was in theater, which certainly differed from film acting.

Carey Mulligan then introduced Jessica Chastain to Elizabeth Banks.

There was still some time before class started, so the girls in the dressing room didn't rush out. After changing clothes, as in any place with many people, they formed small groups and chatted about topics of interest. The conversation among Carey Mulligan, Elizabeth Banks, and Jessica Chastain revolved mostly around movies.

Not ten feet away, Keira and her group of five or six girls were discussing fashion.

Unlike the others, Keira, with her long brown hair, frequently glanced at Carey Mulligan with evident resentment, her ears perked up to catch their conversation.

Since being mocked by Carey, Keira had been looking for a chance to get back at her. At sixteen, such things mattered a lot.

"So, you and Murphy are really together?" Jessica Chastain wasn't too surprised, "You're officially dating?"

"Yeah," Carey Mulligan shrugged, "We've been dating for a while now."

Elizabeth Banks interjected, "Carey loves Murphy, and Murphy treats Carey very well."

Turning to Carey Mulligan, she added, "Even though I've only met Murphy once, I can see that."

"I knew you had good taste," Carey Mulligan's eyes almost disappeared from smiling.

Jessica Chastain looked sideways at her. This girl seemed smart but was actually quite naive. What kind of person was Murphy Stanton? Ambitious and deeply calculating. Could he really be completely captivated by one girl? Even if so, it probably wouldn't last long.

She had been Murphy's assistant for a while and believed she knew him somewhat.

"Jess! Jess!" Carey Mulligan's voice brought her back to reality, "What are you thinking?"

"Oh..." Jessica Chastain quickly regained her composure, smiling, "I was thinking about the movie I watched yesterday. Murphy did a fantastic job. He's progressing so fast! The film's ending was truly unexpected!"

Thinking of the almost full theater and the shocked audience, she suddenly felt that leaving Stanton Studio might have been a mistake. She might have missed the most crucial growth phase of a company and a director.

This was also the easiest stage to build good relationships.

She glanced at Carey Mulligan. This girl was really lucky. If Murphy Stanton's film became a big hit, his industry status would definitely change, and Carey Mulligan's status might change along with it.

"I shouldn't have left!" a voice in Jessica Chastain's heart cried, "I shouldn't have returned to New York!"

She went back to New York to complete her final semester and had achieved nothing since returning to Los Angeles.

What if she hadn't left? She had connections with Paul Wilson, who was the assistant director of "Saw"!

Jessica Chastain drifted into thought again. Carey Mulligan ignored her and turned to chat with Elizabeth Banks.

"I heard Murphy's new film is doing well?"

On the other side, Keira, eavesdropping, caught Elizabeth Banks' words, followed by the voice she detested, "Very well. Murphy will definitely achieve a success that will shock everyone this time!"

"A success that will shock everyone?" Keira sneered.

She had been keeping an eye on the film Carey Mulligan had been promoting, waiting for a chance to turn the tables.

Since that incident, she had continued to despise Carey Mulligan, but her hatred for that jerk of a director who gave Carey the idea had grown tenfold!

In the eyes of most people in the acting class, she was a proud star who had appeared in a film grossing $900 million. Yet, in their words, she had become a ridiculous stand-in? She had been furious!

This anger also stemmed from fear because deep down, she knew there was a possibility that those words could come true, that she would forever be labeled as Natalie Portman's stand-in, living in the shadow of Padmé Amidala rather than as Keira Knightley.

Fear and hatred even affected her friendship with Natalie Portman, built during filming. She hadn't responded to several of Natalie's recent letters.

The thought of being the stand-in for Queen Amidala, Natalie Portman's shadow, ignited a fire in Keira's chest, especially with the face of that jerk director popping up, driving her crazy.

"Murphy worked hard for his success..."

"Congratulate Murphy for me... If there's a celebration, don't forget to invite me..."

Hearing Murphy's name repeatedly linked with success by Carey Mulligan and Elizabeth Banks, Keira gritted her teeth.

She had looked into it. That so-called "Saw" was only in a 30-theater limited release. Today, she even checked the latest North American weekend box office chart, and "Saw" wasn't in the top ten. How could that be considered a success?

"The box

 office is excellent, unexpectedly good..."

When Carey Mulligan's proud words reached her ears again, Keira Knightley could no longer hold back.

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